


What Does ____ Mean?

by ThatHalGuy



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Chara is agender, Coping Mechanisms, Sans Needs A Hug, gaster is a huge asshole, gaster is abusive, sans starts out mute
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-07-13
Updated: 2017-06-09
Packaged: 2018-07-23 16:37:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 11,053
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7471143
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThatHalGuy/pseuds/ThatHalGuy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>As the Royal Scientist, W. D. Gaster must have all his projects approved by the King before he starts working on them. All that bureaucratic interference keeps him from experimenting on living creatures; human, monster, or otherwise. When a scientist gets it in his head to hide a project from his king, it can only mean one thing.</p>
<p>No one can stop him from doing whatever he wants.</p>
<p>Subject 1-S has never known anything beyond the halls of the doctor's lab, how should he know that "normal" is defined very differently out there?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue: An Average Span of Time

**Author's Note:**

> I just... really like tormenting my babies. And I REALLY like seeing my babies broken when put outside their comfort zone.
> 
> Here's my obligatory Gaster is a Terrible Role Model(tm) story.
> 
> This chap is just a quick little blurb before the ball gets rolling.

Subject 1-S gasped involuntarily as pain wracked his body. He clenched his teeth, fighting back the urge to vocalise the agony, squeezing his eyes shut. The doctor told him the noises were unnecessary, that such an advanced creation had no need for such primitive actions. He could feel his Soul throbbing as the doctor held it above his ribcage, pressing another syringe into the very essence of his being, injecting a thick crimson fluid that felt like fire being poured directly into his bones. 1-S swallowed the nausea rising in his throat, his body trembling in its restraints as he did his best to think of something else. His mind shakily offered numbers as a distraction. Complex math problems would help him stay silent and allow the liquid to disperse throughout his body.

_ “Good.” _ The doctor signed once the pain began to subside, and he let go of 1-S’s Soul so it could return to his ribcage. The creation let out a breath he forgot he was holding, slowly relaxing.  _ “Your soul is accepting the DT more readily now. You’re making some progress.” _ The doctor removed his restraints, and 1-S carefully got off the examination table, swaying unsteadily as he followed the tall figure into the hallway and toward a different lab. The doctor ushered him in, stepping into the adjacent observation room. 1-S looked to him for instructions, watching the number sequence his hand formed, nodding and facing the training dummy on the other side of the room. The numbers told him which attacks to use, and he used his DT-enhanced magic to obliterate the dummy, taking a deep breath as the dust settled, and he looked to the doctor again, watching him write on a clipboard before pressing some buttons. A small container with holes in it was raised from below the floor, and the doctor signed a number. 1-S turned to the container, his eye glowing blue as he raised his hands, summoning a blaster and firing its beam at the box. Whatever was inside gave a brief shriek of pain before it was destroyed, no more than a charred smudge left to mark its passing. 1-S shivered as a familiar rush of power ran up his spine, turning back to the doctor expectantly. The tall monster was writing notes again, then looked up at 1-S, nodding and waving toward the door dismissively. He was done gathering data, and 1-S could return to his room.

The small creation slipped out into the hall and walked to the small room he was allowed in by himself, pulling the door shut and settling on the cold tile floor. He stared at the blank wall, hands moving to form the signs he had been taught by the doctor. Since he had no need for his voice, the doctor used his hands to communicate, and had passed the language on to 1-S so his creation could communicate without needing to speak as less advanced creatures did. He spent long hours in this room when the doctor didn’t need him, either to recover his magic, or to just wait for the doctor to return. It was hard to gauge time in this room, as there was no clock or other time-keeping methods. There was nothing but blank white surfaces here. 1-S just did what he could to keep himself occupied until he was needed for another test.


	2. What Does Kindness Mean?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Every day is a busy one when you are the Royal Scientist. Monitoring your finest creation, overseeing your imbecilic assistants, and keeping royalty from sniffing too far into your lab. Probably should have kept that last one in mind...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just your average day with W. D. "I'm Terrible With People" Gaster.

Gaster sighed as he strolled down the halls of his lab, scribbling notes to himself around the information from today’s test. 1-S had clearly improved on managing DT; its Soul used to outright reject the liquid and leave it incapacitated for days trying to recover. It still tried, but the thing’s body now absorbed the DT after some resistance. Gaster rearranged his papers on his clipboard as he stepped into the elevator, putting 1-S at the bottom of the stack and skimming the new top one. He needed to oversee maintenance on the CORE today, check on the Soul Project from his assistants, blah blah blah. The usual drivel, it seemed. There was so much fuss in being the Royal Scientist, it disgusted him how little time he could allot to projects he  _ wanted _ to work on around all the bureaucracy. Or King Asgore’s damn moral and ethical standpoint on anything he deemed  _ questionable _ . It was pathetic, really. The man could give him the okay for a project without batting an eyelash, but as soon as he heard living creatures were part of the tests, he’d call it off immediately. How did he expect Gaster to make any progress on breaking the barrier without access to souls? The tall monster huffed to himself, shaking his head. It just meant he had to find ways to conduct his work under Asgore’s nose. He never bothered telling the king about 1-S, and had no intentions of ever doing so. That little project could stay locked away in the depths of his lab and honed into the perfect killing machine he needed. Gaster adjusted his lab coat, straightening up as he approached his first destination. His idiots needed supervision on their work to be sure they actually did it right.

“Ah, hello, Doctor.” One said as he strode into the room, all three stopping their work to look at him. He was an imposing figure in his own way, tall and angular, and almost completely silent except for the click of his shoes or the rustle of paper. He nodded to them, going to the table they were working around, scanning the mess of papers and equipment, making note of information he needed. The three scientists waited for his assessment, and he purposefully took his time looking at each piece of the organized chaos before setting his hand on a pile of papers full of calculations and data, abruptly shoving the whole thing to the floor and putting his clipboard in the newly cleared space. He met their indignant and insulted expressions with his usual neutral gaze, lifting his now-free hands,

_ “This place is a disaster.” _ He signed,  _ “Have you even bothered to clean this mess since I was here last?” _ Predictably, they lowered their gaze in near-unison, each looking in a different direction to avoid the shame settling on their shoulders. Gaster continued to scold them for the state of their work, and then turned to criticizing their work. Sure, they were good at their usual jobs, but they were shit at making artificial souls to the quality he needed. Never mind the fact that making souls was nigh impossible in the first place. As he signed, he paced around the lab, keeping his hands in view for them to get the full message, ignoring the sound of the door as he faced them properly, about to wrap up the tirade with instructions for them when a large paw landed on his shoulder.

“There you are Doctor Gaster!” A deep, warm voice greeted him cheerfully, and he cringed inwardly. Why now? Why did he have to show up  _ now _ ? Gaster turned with a smile forced onto his features, looking up at one of the few monsters who was taller than him.

_ “Hello, Asgore. What a pleasant surprise. I was just reviewing my assistant’s work.” _ The king of monsters chuckled, glancing at the three who were awkwardly trying to clean up their mess while Gaster’s back was turned.

“They seem to be doing a fine job. Walk with me, won’t you? I wanted to see how you’ve been doing.” God damn it. Gaster sighed and shrugged, waving dismissively to the three as he stepped around Asgore toward the door, the large goat following right behind him. Gaster let him do most of the talking, only half listening to what he was saying as they walked to his next location, where Gaster nodded to a team of monsters waiting for him. They wasted no time in getting ready for their work, donning heavy suits to protect them from the heat of the magma around the core, and picking up their tool belts. Gaster shed his lab coat to put on his own suit, following them out into the heat and leaving Asgore to watch from inside. The team was assembled from the best technicians in the field, ones he knew would be efficient and thorough, and wouldn’t leave any risk of damage to his finest creations. Gaster followed them along the catwalk, watching them check the core for any wear from the heat and magic around it, nodding when they looked to him for the go-ahead to fix what they found. They knew better than to just start working, he was very particular about how his creation was handled. Once they had checked everything, the team headed back to the cool protection of inside the lab, shedding their suits. Some were sweating, but Gaster looked unaffected as he took off his own. He felt the heat, but being a skeleton, it hardly bothered him.

He dismissed the technicians with a wave, making notes on his sheets about what was repaired this time as he walked down the hall. He grimaced when Asgore fell into step beside him, having hoped the king would get bored of following him around the lab. He had a few more errands to run before he’d have his self-allotted “free” time to return to his study of 1-S, such as actually working  _ with _ his assistants to further their study of Souls. Asgore continued to follow him and watch from the sidelines, pleasant and smiling as always. Disgusting. Once his errands around the lab were finally done, Gaster faced Asgore, impatient for him to leave.

_ “If you’re quite finished hovering over me, Your Majesty, I would like to get back to my work. I have entertained you long enough.” _ He signed, his movements clipped and barely hiding his irritation at being followed and watched like this. Asgore looked a little surprised, tilting his head in that frustrating way he did,

“Gaster, is something wrong?” He asked, and Gaster wanted to just kick him out of the lab, throwing up his hands in exasperation as he stormed down the hall, toward the half of the lab he used for his personal projects. He had other things he could work on until Asgore got bored enough to leave him alone and let him get back to more important projects. Gaster pulled out one of his older calculations, reviewing it and then rewriting it. Knowing what he did after working on 1-S, this was all wrong. He’d need a whole new plan to get that kind of magical output. Gaster settled in to scrawl numbers and symbols as he worked out how better to plan the idea, pointedly ignoring Asgore to encourage him to leave.

He lost track of the time, as he did when he was working, and so completely forgot about the king, too engrossed in his work. He only remembered him when he heard the tall goat’s shocked cry, twisting around in his seat when Asgore’s voice boomed through the metal and tile halls.

“Gaster!!” The skeleton tried to determine where the voice came from, grimacing when he saw the door that led to the hallway where 1-S was kept was open. Gaster stood, striding toward the door and seeing the tiny creation being ushered toward him by Asgore, who looked furious when their eyes met. “What is the meaning of this?” The king demanded, “You have been keeping a  _ child _ in your lab? You  _ imprisoned a child _ ?” Gaster coolly regarded the king, then looked down at 1-S, the thing looking between them with an expression that could be considered confusion. It had never seen any monster besides himself, and wasn’t sure what to do with itself. It lifted its hands, starting to sign a question, but Gaster sharply signed for silence, and it dropped its hands again. Gaster returned his gaze to Asgore, trying to think of how best to explain this that would allow him to keep using the creation.

_ “This is a project of mine. An artificial Soul to house the power needed to break the barrier. It is not a child.” _ Asgore didn’t look convinced, glowering at Gaster for further explanation. He sighed to himself, his movements growing more annoyed,  _ “It is not a monster child, Asgore. It is merely a construct to house the artificial soul.” _ Asgore frowned further, bending down to lift 1-S into his arms, the skeleton’s pinprick eyes flashing blue in a moment of panic at being handled by the giant of a monster. It started to lift its hands, as if preparing an attack, but dropped them again when it looked to Gaster. The scientist was pleased to know that while it had the “fight or flight” instinct, he had trained it well enough to only attack when instructed.

“I’m taking this child, Gaster. I have told you time and time again not to use innocents in your work.” Gaster scowled, his eyes narrowing when Asgore’s face gentled. That look was something he saw the man use with his family. A parental, scolding expression. “I’m very disappointed in you, Doctor Gaster.” He said, and the words crawled down Gaster’s spine like slimy tendrils.  _ Ugh _ . He  _ hated _ when the king showed Kindness to him. Gaster knew he wasn’t going to change his mind now, sighing in irritation at the loss of his work.

_ “Fine. Once you realize that a creation like that cannot be raised like a normal child, I hope you will come to your senses and return it to me.” _ Asgore said nothing, carrying 1-S out of the lab, and Gaster watched him go, frowning. Dammit. He was so close to figuring out how to improve it.


	3. What Does Child Mean?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Taken from his room by a strange creature he doesn't understand, 1-S has a lot of questions. Why was this creature taking him from the doctor? Where were they going? What did all those noises it made mean? What would happen to him once they arrive wherever they were going?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1-S calls everyone 'it' because he doesn't understand gender yet.

1-S stared at the strange creature carrying him through halls he had never been allowed in. The doctor had told him to stay within the hall and its rooms, and never to go anywhere without him, but now this massive furry thing was taking him away from the doctor and out of where he was supposed to be. The doctor hadn’t looked pleased about this arrangement either, but didn’t give him any instruction to get away from the creature, so 1-S hadn’t resisted being taken from the doctor’s lab. But where was this thing taking him? The small skeleton looked around, wondering if he could find his way back if he needed to. The doctor had told the creature he wasn’t a… What was that word again? It wasn’t familiar. He mimicked the sign slowly, trying to understand what the movement meant. He also didn’t understand the noises the furry thing made. It seemed to use the noises to communicate, the way the doctor said was too primitive for an advanced creation. Was it primitive? The doctor could understand and respond to it, though. Maybe he learned to understand the vocalizations to communicate with the less advanced creatures. But maybe it wasn’t intelligent enough to know that 1-S belonged to the doctor. The creature looked down at him, its mouth stretching back, an expression 1-S thought could be a grimace, or maybe that meant it was happy, like when the doctor got a result he wasn’t expecting. His mandible would curve up some and his face would look more alert.

It made noises at him, and 1-S blinked once, trying to comprehend. It waited for… Something. Did it want a response? The doctor always got angry when he didn’t answer a question right away, but if he didn’t understand its noises, how could he respond? He hesitated before lifting his hands, signing to the creature,

_“I don’t understand.”_ He braced himself slightly for the strike that would surely come. The doctor always did that when 1-S didn’t know how to react to an instruction. When nothing hit him, he chanced a look at the creature still holding him. It looked… 1-S didn’t have a word for that look. Its mouth was curved down rather than up, but its eyes didn’t look dark. It wasn’t angry, but it wasn’t happy.  It made more noises, and 1-S stared at it blankly. They passed through a doorway and 1-S was distracted from the creature, staring across the new area. They were no longer inside, instead there were reddish rocks and an orange-yellow glow, and the air, once cold and sterile, was now thick and hot and wavered in the distance. He gaped, having never seen this before, trying to take it all in and absorb each new sensation. The heat on his bones, the heavy but dry feeling in his nasal cavity, the way his eyes hurt trying to look at the source of the glow beneath the walkways, the way his hearing was ringing in the absence of the ever-present whir of the vents inside the lab. The creature made a strange noise, and for a moment 1-S thought it was choking or coughing, but then it was making those talking noises again and he was once again struggling to understand it. This time it shifted its hold to cradle him in one massive arm, the other lifting into view. 1-S flinched, waiting for the strike that would surely come, but nothing happened. He looked up again and the creature was waiting for him to focus on its paw again. It moved clumsily, unused to the signs the doctor formed with practiced ease.

_“I am not going to hurt you.”_ It signed slowly, _“You are safe with me.”_ 1-S wasn’t sure how to respond to that, just nodding cautiously. _“What is your name?”_ It asked, and the small creation finally lifted his hands to respond. That was a question he could answer.

_“Subject 1-S.”_ He signed, and the creature made that weird not angry face again. 1-S watched it, trying to gauge how it would respond, but it said nothing as they approached a metal column with doors on it. The doors opened and the creature entered. The box they were in was small, more cramped than 1-S’s room had been, but when the creature pressed a button something dinged and the doors slid shut again. 1-S tensed at the sudden feeling of rising, looking to his soul, but it was unaffected. He looked to the creature, but it was just standing there. Nothing was using Blue magic on either of them. So how…? The creature lifted its hand and 1-S focused on it as it spelled out letters to him.

_"E-L-E-V-A-T-O-R.”_ And then it did a sign, which he copied a few times. The furry thing nodded and its mouth turned up in the happy expression, making noise as it signed. 1-S tilted his head at the noise, but mimicked the sign. The strange lifting feeling stopped suddenly, and the creature stepped out. 1-S looked around again. This time they were surrounded by grey stone buildings and pathways, and occasionally there were creatures wandering around that would stop and bow to the furry creature or stare at 1-S. It made him squirm uncomfortably, and the furry creature adjusted its hold, letting him be hidden under the fabric he wore. It prevented 1-S from seeing much else, but at least he couldn’t see anyone staring at him. The creature finally came to a stop, calling out something he didn’t understand, a different tone of noises calling back as it came closer. Something else was communicating with the thing. 1-S tried to peek out, flinching back when the fabric was pulled away, and he was faced with another furry creature, its face looking… What was the word. Shocked? Yes, shocked. It stared back at him, and he looked away under its red gaze. It made noises at him, and he glanced up, unsure what it was trying to communicate. The creature holding him made noises, and the new one responded with another shocked expression before its face changed to a happy look. It raised its hands, signing carefully,

_“Name?”_ 1-S sat up a bit to sign back obediently,

_“Subject 1-S.”_ The creature's mouth turned down in the same way the other’s had. The not-angry look. The one he didn’t have a word for. It sighed and signed again,

_“I am T-O-R-I-E-L.”_ 1-S mimicked the letters, repeating them to himself. Toriel. Toriel. Toriel. It nodded, looking happy. The bigger creature made that choking noise again, carrying him inside and over to a table with four chairs around it. He was set at one chair, and the creature knelt in front of him with the other- Toriel, he reminded himself- standing behind him.

_“My name is A-S-G-O-R-E.”_ The big one signed, and 1-S copied it, over and over. Asgore. Asgore. Asgore. Toriel. Asgore. Toriel. Asgore. They both looked happy, clapping and making noises. He waited for them to sign again, tilting his head to the side a little. Finally Asgore began signing again,

_“We will take care of you here. You will be safe and happy with us. Will you stay with us?”_ 1-S hesitated. Safe? Happy? They were giving him a choice? What should he say? Suddenly there was a loud cry and the door burst open as two creatures rushed in, their noises loud and jarring. One looked like Asgore and Toriel, covered in white fur, but the other had a strange color, and its fur was only on its head. 1-S’s pupils shrank to tiny white dots when his magic reached for it and found its Soul burning a bright red. So, so red, pulsing with the burning power that had been injected into his own Soul. _Determination._ His eye abruptly flared blue, and his breath quickened. The doctor had said only one other creature had that kind of substance. _Humans._ If this was a human, then this must be a test. The doctor told him humans were to be killed. He needed human Souls for his research. The human stopped with a gasp when its Soul turned a dark blue, and 1-S’s outstretched hand yanked back toward him, pulling the human closer. It yelped, fighting the pull, twisting around to meet 1-S’s vibrant blue eye and frozen grin. Its eyes were red, not nearly as red as its Soul, and full of shock. 1-S narrowed his eyes, preparing a row of bones, only for a fireball to rip through them, and Toriel to catch the human, cradling it and looking angry. Really angry. He didn’t have a word to describe it properly.

_“No.”_ She signed sharply, and 1-S lowered his hands, not understanding why they would defend a human. _“Do not harm my ____”_ She made the same sign that the doctor had and 1-S tilted his head, mimicking it. She sighed, _“C-H-I-L-D.”_ She signed it again, and 1-S copied the letters, blinking and tilting his head again,

_“What’s a… child?”_ The three creatures and human all stared at him, and the human made an irritated noise, signing quickly, using more words 1-S didn’t know.

_“A child is raised by two ____, a ____ and a ____. How do you not know what a child is, you are one!”_ 1-S stared at the human for a long moment, then tilted his head in the other direction,

_“What?”_ He tried to copy the movements he was unfamiliar with, and the human looked… It wasn’t quite shocked, but something similar.

_“You don’t know what ____ are?”_ It asked, and 1-S shook his head,

_“I don’t know what that means.”_ The human’s mouth turned down, and it squirmed out of Toriel’s arms to walk over to him, staring in a way that reminded 1-S of how the doctor would analyze his reactions to certain stimulus. It walked around the chair he was in, then stood in front of him again,

_“What are you?”_ It asked, and 1-S straightened up a little,

_“I am Subject 1-S, Specialized Autonomous Neutralizing Soul.”_ The human stared at him, then rolled its eyes,

_“So you’re not even a monster. You’re just a killing machine.”_ It shook its head, then began moving its hands again, _“Well in this place you can’t hurt anyone. Toriel won’t let you.”_ 1-S stared blankly at the human for a moment,

_“But you’re human.”_ He pointed out, as if that explained everything. The human looked irritated, and lifted its hand, as if about to strike him, which made 1-S flinch and look away, waiting for the blow to connect. Nothing happened. He looked at the human again, and its face… It was hard to find words that fit. The expressions mixed in its eyes, and it looked like it couldn’t decide how to feel. Its hand lowered slowly, and its movements were slower, less angry.

_“Sorry.”_ The word confused 1-S, and he glanced from their hands to their face, trying to understand, _“Whatever you went through before ____ brought you here. It must have hurt, right?”_ 1-S hesitated, one bony hand moving over his ribs to where his soul was, still feeling the ache from the earlier injection. He nodded a little, and the human stepped closer, tugging up one side of its shirt to show a scar that stretched along its side and onto its back before dropping the fabric again to hide the ugly mark, _“Me too. But staying here helped me get better. You can stay and get better too.”_ The human offered its hand, signing with the other, _“I’m C-H-A-R-A.”_ 1-S shrank back slightly, unsure about this, but the human’s mouth curved up in a happy way. He reached out to take the hand, and the human looked happier. He relaxed a tad and spelled out the name. Chara. It nodded, then pointed to him, _“What was all that you said before? Special…?”_ 1-S took his hand back to use both to sign.

_“Specialized Autonomous Neutralizing Soul.”_ Chara watched his hands, spelling the words out partially before nodding decisively,

_“S-A-N-S. That’s your name now.”_ The creation blinked once… Twice… Then formed the letters with his hand. S. A. N. S. S-A-N-S. Sans. Sans. Sans. Sans. His pupils got a little brighter as he spelled out his new name, looking up at Chara again, who nodded. “ _Welcome to my ____, Sans.”_ Sans stopped, tilting his head again. There was another sign he didn’t know. Chara rolled its eyes, but didn’t look angry this time, _“You have a lot to learn.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sans does have a good vocabulary, he's just never been taught words associated with emotions.


	4. What Does Family Mean?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sans begins to learn strange new words from Chara, things that bring unfamiliar emotions to the surface and put everything he knows on its head.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sans could talk for hours about scientific stuff he's learned from Gaster, but that's not something most people talk about.

_ “Okay. Let’s try again from the beginning.” _ Chara’s movements were quick and harsh again. The human was getting irritated at how much Sans didn’t understand and had to keep stopping and explaining things.  _ “Asgore is my D-A-D. Dad.” _ Sans nodded, and copied the sign. Dad.  _ “Toriel is my M-O-M. Mom.” _ Sans copied that one too. Mom.  _ “Mom and Dad take care of me and A-S-R-I-E-L.” _ Sans glanced at the small furry one sitting next to Chara, spelling out the name. Asriel. Asriel nodded, his face happy, even though he was looking tired of seeing the same hand movements over and over. Asgore and Toriel were sitting in big, squishy chairs, observing the three on the floor, where Sans had moved with Chara so they didn’t have to stand while he sat.  _ “Asriel is my B-R-O-T-H-E-R. Brother.” _ Brother. Sans had noticed a pattern with all this repetition. Dad and brother were signs that started at his forehead, whereas mom was signed by his mandible.  _ “Mom and dad are our P-A-R-E-N-T-S. Parents. That means they take care of us while we grow up until we can take care of ourselves.” _ Parents. It was dad and mom together, rather than separate. Sans nodded.  _ “The four of us are a F-A-M-I-L-Y. Family. We live together and take care of each other.” _ Family. Sans nodded again. He was starting to grasp this weird social structure.  _ “Good. Okay.” _ Chara sighed, shifting in place and getting comfortable again.  _ “Dad and Asriel are M-A-L-E. Male.” _ Sans tilted his head, copying the sign. Up by his forehead again.  _ “Mom is F-E-M-A-L-E. Female.” _ Down by his mandible. Female.  _ “Males are different from females. Their bodies are made with different stuff.” _ Sans nodded, glancing between Asgore and Toriel. Asgore was bigger, with broad shoulders, and a round torso. Toriel was softer, with narrower shoulders and more of a prominent curve on the ribcage while the abdomen was smaller before the pelvis widened the shape out again. Sans lifted his hands to draw two straight lines next to each other, and then two curvy lines. Chara nodded,  _ “Yes, like that. That’s the basic difference. Sometimes it gets complicated, but we’ll talk about that another time.” _ Sans nodded, looking between Chara and Asriel.

_ “Are you male?” _ He asked, pointing to Chara and tilting his head. The human had the same shape as Asriel and Asgore, after all. But Chara shook his head,

_ “I’m neither. Like I said, it gets complicated.” _ Sans contemplated this for a moment, then shrugged it off. If Chara wasn’t male or female, then it wasn’t male or female. Chara seemed happy at his acceptance of the fact, and kept signing,  _ “There are words used to describe males and females, and me in a way. For males you use H-E, H-I-M, H-I-S. This is more for talking to people than signing. Signing is simpler.” _ Sans nodded, copying the letters, and added them to his mental list.  _ “Females use S-H-E, H-E-R, H-E-R-S.” _ Again he mirrored the letters.  _ “And for me, use T-H-E-Y, T-H-E-M, T-H-E-I-R-S.” _ Sans watched his hand form the letters, then nodded to Chara. It seemed pretty straightforward, it would just take some time getting used to them. Chara looked happy again, and relaxed,  _ “Good. You’re learning this fast.” _ Sans puffed himself up a little. It was rare that he would get praise from the doctor, but Chara used it every time he nodded to say he understood what he was being told. It made him feel bigger in a way. Toriel lifted her hands now, and Sans’s attention was drawn to it- her,

_ “I will teach you how to speak later. There are some monsters who don’t understand hands.” _ Sans tilted his head at that.

_ “The doctor said I shouldn’t use noises. Said I was above using primitive noises to communicate.” _ Toriel’s eyes darkened, and Sans dropped his hands, looking away. He’d said something he shouldn’t have. He’d be punished for speaking against authority. Chara’s hand suddenly appeared in his vision, snapping it- their fingers in his face, making him jolt and look at the human,

_ “She’s NOT mad at you.” _ They signed ‘not’ with so much emphasis it was like it was being shouted through their hands,  _ “She’s mad at the doctor you mentioned. He’s the one who hurt you, right?” _ Sans nodded slightly, and Chara huffed,  _ “Well he’s an ____.” _ Toriel gasped and made a noise, Chara glancing at her and shrugging. Sans just tilted his head, confused.

_ “What was that word?” _ He asked, but before Chara could explain, Toriel signed quickly,

_ “It’s a bad word and you should not use it, my child.” _ Sans blinked, staring at her. She’d called him her child. Was he part of their family now? Emotions he didn’t understand and couldn’t define mixed inside him, and he sucked in a breath. Family. He could be part of this family. They could take care of him. He could be safe. It seemed too perfect. Unreal, in a way. There was no way this would stay like this. The doctor would come get him and take him back to the lab. Back to the tests and the training and the injections and the  _ pain _ and- The world tilted and swayed before his eyes, and Sans realized he was breathing faster and harder than he needed to. He didn’t need to breathe at all, but now it felt like he couldn’t get enough air. Like something in his chest was trying to suffocate him. He didn’t want to go back to the doctor. These people- this  _ family _ hadn’t hurt him. They had taught him new things and had promised he would be happy and- and-

Chara’s fingers snapped loudly by his head, and he jolted away with a weak cry, startled enough to forget he wasn’t supposed to use his voice. Chara’s hands settled on his skull, holding it gently in place to meet his eyes, and make him focus on their rust-red eyes. The human took a deep breath, held it for a moment, and let it out slowly. They took another deep breath, held it, and let it out. Sans’s own rapid breathing faltered, trying to mimic Chara’s breathing. Chara kept repeating those slow breaths until Sans’s own could match it, even if it wavered near the ends. They lowered their hands to his shoulders, and Sans realized he was shaking. Chara kept their steady breathing, and Sans breathed with him, the trembles in his bones gradually subsiding. Chara kept him steady for a while, then slowly let go to sign to him.

_ “It’s okay. You’re okay. No one’s going to hurt you. Mom and Dad will make sure of that. You’re safe. You’ll stay with us and we’ll take care of you. You don’t have to listen to that doctor any more.” _ Sans’s breath caught in his throat, and the shaking started up again, emotions filling his chest and dragging a noise from his throat. He squeezed his eyes shut, curling in on himself as he sucked in a breath, noises unwittingly tumbling from his mouth. Chara’s warmth pressed against him, their arms wrapping around his body, and they made a soft hissing noise that reminded him of the humming if the vents as they blew air into the halls and rooms. It was soothing to him, as his body shook and fluid escaped from his eyes.


	5. What Does Funny Mean?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sans's first night with the Dreemur's doesn't go so well. Shadows leave too much to the imagination.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The baby REALLY needs a hug. And therapy.
> 
> Also, hi! I'm back after some silence. Inspiration comes and goes for me, so getting these chapters out takes some pondering and rewriting.

It took a while for him to calm down again, but once the overwhelming emotions faded, Toriel got his attention and started signing.

_ “Knock knock.” _ Sans blinked, confused why she did that, but Chara signed in reply,

_ “Who’s there?” _ They asked, and Sans watched them closely, trying to understand.

_ “Tibia.” _

_ “Tibia who?” _

_ “Tibia honest, I’ve forgotten.” _ She made a sound, and Chara joined in while Asriel rolled his eyes with a sigh. Sans just looked between them, trying to understand. Why were they talking about bones?

_ “It’s a ____. It’s supposed to be ____.” _ Sans stared at Toriel, not sure what she just said. She sighed, spelling for him,  _ “J-O-K-E. Joke. It’s something people say to make other people happy.” _ Sans didn’t really get it, but he nodded a little anyway.

_ “What was that noise?” _ He asked, and Chara made a snorting noise,

_ “It’s called L-A-U-G-H-T-E-R. Laughter. It’s what you do when you’re happy.” _ Sans didn’t understand that, he’d never seen the doctor do anything like that. Asriel got up, going to a bookshelf and pulling down a book, which he carried over to Sans, looking happy as he spoke, Chara translating for him.  _ “This is a book about jokes. You can read it and learn about them.” _ Sans nodded, taking the book and opening it up. Chara scoot closer to read with him, signing and explaining whatever word Sans pointed to that he didn’t know.

The human spent all day helping him learn the jokes in the book, until Sans could repeat them to Chara and Asriel without looking at the page. Jokes weren’t anything like the formulas and calculations he saw the doctor write. They didn’t have to reach a logical conclusion. It was just something happy that was meant to be ridiculous and funny. Funny. He learned that word, too. Chara taught him so many words with that one book. He wanted to read all the other books, too, and learn the words within those pages. Books held so much potential. He didn’t get the chance, ushered to the table with the family to eat. The food placed in front of him was nothing like the rations he’d been given in the lab. This food had complicated smells, and different textures in his mouth. He took his time with each bite, trying to figure out the flavors he was tasting, but he had no words for this food yet. After the meal- Chara had called it  _ dinner _ \- Chara and Asriel led him to their shared room, where some fabric and padding had been laid on the floor by one of two odd platforms. It was wooden with fabric over some kind of padding.

_ “You can sleep here.” _ Chara signed, pointing to the soft things on the floor,  _ “It’s not as good as a ____, but it’s only temporary.” _ Sans sat on the fabric, tilting his head at the human, mimicking the unfamiliar sign,  _ “B-E-D. Bed. It’s what we sleep on.” _ Chara patted the platform, then hopped up onto it and lay down,  _ “Mom is gonna get one for you tomorrow so you don’t have to sleep on the floor any more.” _ Sans blinked a few times, then lay down like Chara was. He’d never had a bed. The doctor just left him in the empty room, and Sans would fall asleep after the lights went out. It didn’t matter if he was laying down or not, exhaustion would take over when his mind couldn’t keep him occupied. Yet Chara looked happy on the bed. Turning, Sans could see Asriel burrowing under the fabric of his bed and settling. The skeleton lay on his back, staring at the ceiling, unsure if he was tired enough to sleep. Instead he practiced the signs he’d learned today, and tried out the jokes again. The lights were turned off, and Sans stared into the darkness idly, listening to the sounds of Chara and Asriel breathing.

_ Knock knock. Who’s there? Orange. Orange who? Orange you going to let me in? _

It didn’t make sense when he signed it, but Chara had said it was funnier spoken aloud because  _ orange _ sounded like  _ aren’t _ in that sentence. A “play-on-words” they said. He had learned so much in the time he’d left the lab and been with this family, so much more than when he was at the lab. The doctor didn’t tell him much about what was happening, and ignored Sans’s questions. The creation rolled onto his side, staring at the wooden frame of Chara’s bed in the darkness. He wasn’t tired. He hadn’t used up much energy after the tests, and now that it was dark, he felt like he should be exhausted. He closed his eyes, hoping that would help, but after a few minutes of just listening to Asriel and Chara breathe, he determined that wouldn’t work.

Sans sat up, looking around at the dim shapes in the dark, his eyes trying to focus on and distinguish them. He couldn’t properly see anything, and the darkness kept shifting, like it was alive. Sans clenched his fists, his breath stopping so he could listen intently. He could hear Chara breathing slowly in their sleep, and Asriel as well, with little huffs as he breathed out. But for a moment he thought he heard something else. Was there something else in the room? The creak of wood was faint, but he could hear it under the now loud sound of breathing. Something was moving. Maybe not in the room, but outside it. Sans felt his Soul throb with remembered pain, and he set a hand over his ribs. Was the doctor coming to get him? Was this some kind of test? Had he passed or failed? Was he supposed to kill Chara and collect their soul? Sans’s chest ached, and he shifted, pressing his back to Chara’s bed and trying to make the indistinct shapes in the dark clearer. They had said he wouldn’t have to listen to the doctor any more, but was that true? Was the doctor just going to forget about him and the tests end just like that?

Another creak of the floor made Sans jolt, and his eye blazed blue, lighting up the room. The shapes were a little clearer now, but the shadows cast by the blue light only seemed darker and more threatening. Sans clutched the fabric on his makeshift bed, trembling and looking around frantically to try and find the source of the creaking. Where was he? Was he in the room, and Sans hadn’t noticed? Was he outside, waiting for a chance to take him back to the lab? Would he punish the small skeleton for not killing Chara while he had the chance? His chest heaved as he tried to take a deep breath, but a shadow flickered as his eye looked over it, and his breath turned frantic, phantom needles stabbing his bones and Soul over and over again. It hurt, it hurt, it hurt so much, but he couldn’t move, couldn’t make a sound. His right eye burned, like it had been filled with acid, and he reached up to claw at the socket. Everything hurt. There was fire in his marrow, the DT that had been forcefully infused with his magic was burning him from the inside, out.

A noise behind him made him jump and twist around, summoning a bone and ready to strike as his blue eye lit up Chara, the human sitting up and rubbing their eyes. They spoke, but the noises were meaningless. Finally they looked at Sans properly and sat up straighter, signing hurriedly.

_ “Sans, what’s wrong?” _ Sans couldn’t respond. His body was shaking too much, his breathing like pained gasps. He felt frozen, trapped in this room, vulnerable and fearing the punishment the doctor would inflict on him. Chara slid off the bed to sit next to him, pushing the bone aside and meeting his blue gaze.  _ “There’s no one here but you, me, Asriel, Mom, and Dad.” _ They signed, and Sans glanced over to the shape of Asriel, still asleep somehow. He refocused on Chara, their eyes lacking their rust color with the reflection of his blue eye, and the bone vanished from his hands, tears welling up in his eyes. He couldn’t express what he was feeling, but he needed Chara’s reassurance. Chara had said they knew what it was like to hurt. They had helped him calm down after his last bout of emotions. He needed them to help him know everything was okay.  _ “Why did the skeleton need a friend?” _ Chara signed, and Sans hesitated, his jumbled thoughts unable to find the answer.

_ “Why?” _ He signed shakily, and Chara smiled gently,

_ “Because he was feeling bonely.” _ Sans smiled weakly, and attempted his own joke to help distract himself.

_ “Knock knock.” _

_ “Who’s there?” _ Chara answered, but Sans couldn’t think of any of the jokes Chara had showed him. He hesitated, his hands frozen in midair, unable to continue. His mind was too scattered to recall any of the jokes he’d been taught. His hands lowered slowly, shaking as his chest heaved. Chara’s expression changed, and they took his hands, squeezing gently. Sans sobbed, the noise dragging its way out of his throat and grating on his ears. Everything was too loud, and moisture was falling from his eyes, making it hard to see. Chara shifted closer, cradling Sans in their chest and making the soothing hissing noise. Sans saw Asriel shift and sit up, his white fur gleaming in the blue glow as he looked at them, wordlessly coming to join the embrace. Having himself wrapped in their arms gave him some comfort, but he had a feeling he wouldn’t be able to sleep tonight. They all moved onto Chara’s bed and turned on a small light, a lamp, Chara had told him. Asriel took a book from a shelf, and Chara signed the words to Sans, helping him learn them. Asriel fell asleep on Sans’s shoulder after a few pages, but Chara said they would stay awake with Sans to read the book with him.


	6. What Does Chocolate Mean?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sans begins his first lessons with Toriel, and though he struggles to learn, the outcome makes it all worth the effort.

Sans didn’t know when the glow faded away, but when he next heard movement outside the room, Chara told him it was morning, that it was Asgore and Toriel waking up. Sans wasn’t convinced until he heard the sound of their voices. The noises made no sense to him, but he could recognise what they sounded like. He looked to Chara, who smiled reassuringly and asked if he wanted to get breakfast. Sans nodded, and carefully set Asriel on the bed, letting him sleep while they slipped out into the hall, which was lit now, the shadows small and nonthreatening.

_ “Good morning, Sans.” _ Toriel signed, smiling at him, and the expression helped calm his shaking hands as he waved silently. He stuck close to Chara, watching the adults make food in the kitchen, still glancing around, unable to shake the feeling that the next time he looked he’d see the doctor around a corner. Chara squeezed his hand, and Sans leaned against the human, glad that they seemed to understand his needs when he couldn’t articulate them.

Asriel emerged from the hallway as they were settling at the table with their food, rubbing his eye and yawning widely as he shuffled to his seat. Sans looked at his plate, confused by the different colors and shapes. It was nothing at all like the rations the doctor gave him, but the smell was enticing. Chara leaned closer, pointing things out and signing their names.  _ Eggs _ .  _ Bacon _ .  _ Spinach _ .  _ Cheese _ . Sans tried the eggs first, the shape promised soft, and his tongue was not disappointed. The flavor was beyond his limited vocabulary, but the texture could only be described as squishy. He indulged in mushing it around in his mouth before moving on to the spinach. It was a bright green, and gave a crisp crunch between his teeth. Even if it had little actual flavor, it was fun to chew on. The cheese was soft, but not as squishy as the eggs, and stuck to his teeth a bit. Sour seemed to best fit the flavor, but it wasn’t unpleasant, so it disappeared into his mouth as well. Sans had saved the bacon for last. He had seen how Chara eyed their own with eagerness, heard it  _ crack _ as they bit off a piece. It sounded satisfying. He picked up a piece, and it held its form stiffly. It was brown, and had some kind of greasy residue, but the smell made him not care. He had never smelled anything like it, and he bit into it to see how the flavor compared.  _ Crunch _ . The piece broke off between his teeth, and that alone made it great. As soon as it hit his tongue, he had to pause and savor it. He didn’t know enough words to describe it, but he loved it anyway.

He finished the rest of his food, leaving his plate empty, and smiled at Chara, who grinned back. Asgore cleared away their plates, and Toriel beckoned Sans to sit by the big chairs. Chara gave him an encouraging nod, and he went to sit at her feet.

_ “I was hoping to start teaching you to speak today, Sans.” _ Right. They had said that he needed his voice to communicate with other monsters. He needed to know what the sounds meant to be able to understand the noises made around him. He hadn’t been punished for the noises he’d made when he got scared and needed Chara’s comfort. He had just been held and told he would be okay. Sans nodded, taking a deep breath to steady himself. He was safe here. The doctor wouldn’t hurt him any more. Toriel smiled, and the lesson began. He spent all day making sounds, working his tongue in ways he never had before. Toriel signed letters, and then made a noise. He knew the letters, but mimicking the noise was hard.

It took a lot of time to just learn how to make the noise associated with a letter, but once he could go through the letters with minimal trouble, she rewarded him with a small brown square that she called  _ chocolate _ . He bit off a corner, and his eyes went wide. Sweet, yet bitter, thick, but addicting. He put the rest in his mouth and let it melt on his tongue, closing his eyes and basking in the rich taste. If that was going to become a common reward for doing things right, he would see to it he never failed.

After his reward, Toriel explained that now that he knew the sounds, he could start to learn to put them together in groups. Letters by themselves had certain sounds, but putting two or more together could change the sound.  _ C _ and  _ H _ had individual sounds, but  _ Ch _ made a new sound. He watched and listened intently, copying the noises she made. He earned another piece of chocolate once he could sound out letter combinations, and they took a break for lunch. Chara signed letters to him, and Sans made the corresponding noise, getting praise from the human, who promised to help him learn to speak the jokes in the book tonight. After lunch was more lessons, Sans learning to string more letters together to make words.

“S...a...n...s.” He signed each letter, making the noise, then tried again, “Sa...ns. Sans. Sans. Sssaaannnsss. Sans.” Toriel looked so happy to hear him say his own name, he couldn’t help but smile. She spelled out two letters, and spoke, so he copied. “Mmmaaaiii. Maaaiii. My.” Four letters and a sound. “Nnn… Naaame. Name.” Two letters, a sound. “Issss. Is.” Four letters, he knew that one now. “Sans!”

_ “Good. Now all together.” _ She encouraged, and Sans spelled the letters a few times before he remembered the signs, signing with each word.

“My… name… is… Sans.” He looked up at her, and she smiled at him. He almost thought all the happy would actually fall out of her at this rate. She signed five letters this time, and made a sound. The letters didn’t quite match up, but he tried the sound anyway. “Ka...ra. Kara.” He gave her a confused look, so she explained.

_ “Sometimes letters in a name or certain words don’t make the sounds they normally would. If you’re not sure it sounds right, just ask.” _ He nodded, repeating the word to himself a few times before the letters clicked in his head. He knew that word! He twisted around, excitedly raising his voice to let it carry through the house,

“Chara! Chara!” The human’s voice stopped, and the sound of their feet rushed down the hall until they were in the doorway, eyes wide, like they couldn’t believe what they heard. Sans just grinned wider, puffing up a bit, “Chara! My name is Sans!” Chara’s face filled with emotion, and they rushed over, hugging the little skeleton tightly. Sans hugged them back, pride swelling in his chest. He had spoken. He had spoken his first actual words to the human who taught him so much in such a short time. A flurry of noises came from Chara as they let go, holding him at arm's length. There was moisture in their eyes, and he could tell they were proud of him, too, even if the words were still lost on him. He just grinned and pat their arm, making the hissing noise he now knew was a  _ sh _ sound. Chara stopped talking and smiled through their emotional outburst, hugging him again before scrubbing their eyes and letting go for good. They still sat nearby to hear him learn more, and Sans learned to say  _ Toriel _ ,  _ Asgore _ , and  _ Asriel _ .

There were more words after that, and Sans learned simple sentences, which he happily told to Chara, and just before Toriel started on dinner, he got another piece of chocolate. He savored that piece especially, and Chara pulled out the book of jokes, eager to teach him more.


	7. What Does Patience Mean?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's hard to abandon a project that has so much invested into it. Gaster is sure he'll get it back soon, he just has to bide his time long enough for the opportunity to present itself. Not even the Queen will stop him from getting what he wants.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Spark of inspiration has struck again!! Hopefully some of the things in here kinda make sense... It's hard to talk science mumbo jumbo that you've basically invented yourself.

A week. It had been a week since Asgore took 1-S into his custody.

Gaster scowled as he watched the security feed outside the King’s house, watched his creation interact with the prince and the human. It was irritating to see all of his hard work thrown out the window like this, but he had to prove a point. Just because it acted like a monster didn’t mean it was one. He had designed it to capture human Souls, and he’d be damned if he let it go to waste just because the King and Queen mistook his creation for a common monster child. His gaze drifted to a device sitting beside him. He’d made backup measures just in case 1-S hadn’t been compliant, but it had proved unnecessary so far. Now it seemed it might need to be used to bring 1-S back into obedience. Gaster set his hand on the device, contemplating activating it, but then looked at the screen again. It had only been a week. The King would surely be angry with him if he intervened now.

It was learning to  _ talk _ , which was annoying. He specifically trained it to only respond to his signs, but Toriel, ever nurturing as she was, had taken it upon herself to encourage it to vocalize rather than sign. He sighed in exasperation, rubbing his temple. If it didn’t revert to its training, he might have to remove its ability to speak at all. If it weren’t for Toriel’s intervention, 1-S would have claimed the human’s Soul and made it so much easier for him to learn how it worked. They could have been one step closer to destroying the barrier and freeing monsterkind. Again, Gaster eyed the device beside him. Only the prince would see it happen… But no, it was the prince who brought the human to them in the first place. Asriel didn’t need to be traumatized by seeing his human friend murdered like that. The scientist sighed, staring at the screen, trying to weigh his options.

He sat up a little, staring at the video feed a little more intently. The creation swayed unexpectedly before righting itself. Gaster allowed himself a small smile. He had hoped this would happen. Without exhausting its magic, it had been running on its last DT injection nonstop, without a way to replenish it the same way the human could. Once the DT was used up, it would shut down, and he could finally get it back in his possession. He watched with interest as 1-S struggled to stay upright, its head bobbing and its body swaying a little. The human and prince didn’t seem to notice, too engrossed in their book, only realizing when the creation suddenly went slack and fell to the ground unconscious.  _ Finally _ . He sat back, a little relieved. It would remain static until it received another injection, and he could properly explain to Asgore that it wasn’t technically alive.

He just had to wait as the children attempted to awaken the limp construct, as they grew panicked from the lack of response or magical output. Sure enough, they called for Toriel, and she emerged from the house. Gaster almost wanted to laugh at her attempts to use healing magic on it. He’d done that experiment already. It couldn’t be sustained by healing magic, not with the low stats it had.

Sure, he had increased its magical capacity by increasing its LV, but it was still only an  _ artificial _ Soul, and couldn’t increase anything but its LV. Toriel grew frantic when her attempts proved fruitless, and picked up the unresponsive construct, carrying it inside. It was almost a pity he hadn’t been able to put cameras in the Dreemurr’s house, so he could better observe what was happening, but Toriel had insisted that while the surveillance cameras let them know when humans arrived in the Underground, all monsters should be allowed the privacy of their home. Instead he switched the screen to view the throne room, and watched Asgore as he answered his phone and hurried out to return home. Good, now he would see the creation at its basic level. An unresponsive Soul and a lifeless body. Gaster sat back, waiting for what would come next. It was only a matter of time before an emotional King would arrive at his lab demanding answers.

“GASTER!!” Asgore’s booming voice echoed through the halls, and caused one of Gaster’s assistants to nearly drop the instrument she was holding. Gaster ignored her brief panic, setting down his pen and getting up to go meet the angry monster.

“ _ Good afternoon, Your Majesty. _ ” He signed when the broad-shouldered man came into view, keeping his expression pleasant and polite, as if he didn’t know what was happening, “ _ What seems to be the problem? _ ” Asgore glowered at him, and the expression reminded Gaster that he was dealing with a truly formidable king, not just an emotion-driven monster.

“What did you do, Gaster?” Gaster blinked once, pausing to consider the question,

“ _ I’m not sure what you’re referring to, Your Majesty. I have been busy in my lab all day. _ ”

“Don’t play dumb!” Asgore commanded, and Gaster dropped the polite act, frowning a little,

“ _ I have done nothing out of the ordinary today. _ ” He responded curtly, surprised when Asgore abruptly grabbed his lab coat lapel and pulled him closer,

“What. Happened. To. Sans?” Gaster raised an eyebrow at him,

“ _ I don’t know anyone by- _ ”

“Don’t avoid the  _ question _ , Gaster!!” Asgore cut him off sharply, and Gaster sighed, pushing the large paw off his coat, straightening it before responding,

“ _ You are referring to 1-S’s sudden, unexplained collapse and subsequent lack of consciousness, then. I assure you, I did nothing to it. In fact, it is my lack of action that has caused this. _ ” Asgore opened his mouth to speak, but Gaster held up a finger, signalling he wasn’t finished, “ _ As I told you before, 1-S is not a monster, but an artificial Soul housed in a body I constructed. It cannot sustain its own existence within the body without supplements I provide. The Soul itself can be maintained without the body, but to be properly effective, it requires the body to function. _ ” He gave Asgore a mild sour look, “ _ Before you removed it from my lab, I had been maintaining daily doses of the necessary supplements needed to keep it functioning. Without those constant doses, its last supplement had worn off, causing the body to shut down. _ ” Asgore’s anger withered, and he faltered,

“He…” Asgore began uncertainly, “He was fine this morning…” Gaster straightened up, keeping his gaze on the king,

“ _ Unless engaged in excessive magical activity, 1-S can function without tiring for 168 hours. I had administered its last dose the morning before you made your little visit and confiscated my work. It finally reached its limit today, and therefore, it ceased to function. _ ” Asgore grit his teeth, his glare returning,

“Sans is not some…  _ machine _ , Gaster! He thinks and feels, and-”

“ _ Yes, yes, all those things something with a Soul can do. _ ” Gaster waved it off. He’d already accepted that copying the behaviors of the real thing was a triumph, and focused on its magical capabilities instead, “ _ But it is still only an  _ artificial _ Soul. Programmed to do those things based on what I designed it to do. And it cannot do those things without regular doses. Now, if you would be so kind as to return it to me, I would like to continue improving it. _ ” Asgore slumped in defeat, unable to think of an argument, and just nodded, turning to leave. Gaster smirked a little and followed him to the elevator, pressing the button that would take them to New Home. Asgore wordlessly led the way to his home, where Toriel was waiting anxiously. Her face hardened when she spotted Gaster, but the skeleton merely bowed to her.

“Gaster…” She said warningly, and he straightened up,

“ _ I have explained everything to Asgore, Your Majesty, and I am here to collect my project. _ ” He signed, only to jolt to the side when Toriel’s paw slapped him across the cheekbone,

“I don’t care what you told Asgore. You will  _ not _ take the child from me.” Gaster met her gaze calmly, and sighed. Of course he would have to contend with her maternal protectiveness.

“ _ 1-S is not a child, Toriel. It is simply the size of one, because that was the only size it could maintain. Now, if I may- _ ” He ducked his head to avoid the fireball that roared past him, giving her a sour look, “ _ I do not wish to fight you, Toriel. I cannot fix 1-S if you keep me from it. _ ” She shook her head firmly, and Gaster sighed in annoyance, “ _ It will not move again without my intervention. It cannot function without the supplements I provide. _ ” She hesitated, looking at him warily, but didn’t move.

“Mom…?” Gaster looked down, seeing Chara peek out from the door, “He’s-” The human stopped, eyes locking on the tall skeleton and narrowing. “ _ You. _ ” They hissed, their eyes losing their rust color as a black liquid welled and dripped down their cheeks. Gaster always found it unnerving to see the human leak the oily substance, but this time their fury was directed at him, and he had no interest in being on the receiving end of this violent outburst. He lifted his hands, ready to pin the child with blue magic if he had to, and signed slowly,

“ _ Hello, human. It has come to my attention that you have become attached to my creation. I would like to have it functioning properly, just as you would like it to stop looking and acting as if it were dead. However, this hostility toward me will not bring it back any faster. _ ” Chara’s face split with an eerie grin, and they stepped forward, giggling a little,

“Oh, sure, you can bring him back to life.” More of the black liquid dripped from the corner of their mouth as they spoke, “Right after I  _ snap your neck!! _ ” Chara lunged, and Gaster snapped his fingers, dropping his hand. The human yelped as they were forced onto the ground and held there, struggling to stand,

“ _ I am sorry, I cannot allow that. Now, if you will excuse me, _ ” Gaster stepped forward, teleporting through the open door and into the house, “ _ I have a project to collect. _ ” Toriel tried to protest, but Gaster was already striding through the hall to the children’s shared bedroom. He didn’t have much time, he just needed to grab 1-S, and then he could teleport back to the lab. He opened the door, and regarded the extra bed his creation was laid on, Asriel clutching its unmoving hand. Asriel looked up, startled,

“Wha-”

“ _ Hello, Prince Asriel. I’m going to need that back, now. _ ” Gaster took two steps forward, picking up the construct and hoisting it onto his shoulder, out of Asriel’s grasp. With it free of any contact, Gaster turned on his heel, teleporting as he went, and faced the door to his personal lab, carrying the artificial creation back inside and to the medical room, laying it on the table. He’d need to run some diagnostics, and make sure it still worked properly before he injected the DT into it.

The intercom predictably dinged about half an hour later, and Gaster rolled his eyes, summoning a hand to press the button for him, since his hands were busy measuring DT.

“Uh… Doctor Gaster… You might want to come up here… The Queen is here, and she’s… Um… Upset…” Of course she was. He sighed, setting down his instruments and going over to the intercom’s keyboard, typing.

_ I’m busy with the Core. Tell her to come back later. _

His assistants wouldn’t know one way or another what he was doing, so they wouldn’t catch his lie. Toriel rarely visited the lab, so she wouldn’t know where his personal lab was, and she certainly wouldn’t know how to find him around the Core. Satisfied, he went back to his work, getting the DT measured out and into a syringe, finally turning to the unmoving body waiting on the medical table. Again the intercom pinged at him, and he sighed in annoyance, using a magic hand to press the button,

“Doctor, she’s very insistent.” The skeleton cast a sour look at the machine, drawing the Soul from his creation’s chest and examining it. The surface was pockmarked with scars from the numerous needles he’d inserted into it, but still gave off its usual faint magical signature. “She seems to think- H-hey!” Gaster paused at the jostling sound, glancing at the intercom.

“Gaster.” Toriel’s voice was cold and furious, “You will return Sans to me  _ immediately _ , or I will shut down this entire lab.” That hardly seemed necessary as a threat, in Gaster’s opinion. Without himself and his assistants working, there would be no progress on breaking the barrier. There would be no one to maintain the Core. He slid the needle into the Soul, and watched as the red fluid stained the white glow. He summoned another magic hand to type on the keyboard.

_ That would only cause setbacks to the Underground, Your Majesty. The Core is a complex machine that needs constant supervision and improvement. Without it, we would lose all power to people’s homes. _

1-S’s body shuddered as the DT dispersed into its body, and Gaster pulled the empty syringe free, letting the Soul return to its place. He picked up a clipboard, making notes to himself about how long it had been without a DT injection, and the time span where it was inert. He observed the construct as it slowly regained consciousness, and stirred, opening its eyes. It didn’t look fully aware yet, its eyes moving around to get its bearings. Once it focused on him, he set the clipboard aside,

“ _ State your designation. _ ” He signed, and it raised its own hands automatically,

“ _ Subject 1-S. Specialized Autonomous Neutralizing Soul. _ ” Gaster nodded, making a note on his clipboard. Being in the lab had helped to reset its focus back to its original purpose like he’d planned.

“ _ Return to the standby room. _ ” The small creation got off the table and left the room, and Gaster began putting away his supplies. It was easily influenced by familiarity, it seemed. No resistance, no questions. Just compliant obedience. He allowed himself a small smirk, shutting the case that held the DT. Toriel would see his creation as it was meant to be soon enough.


End file.
